


Tam Lin and The Fairy Queen

by MagnoliaMuse



Series: Nights in the the Oasis of Light [2]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Angela "Mercy" Zielger, Doomfist, F/M, Fairy tale retelling, Minor Character(s), Talon Reaper | Gabriel Reyes, Widowmaker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-01
Updated: 2018-01-04
Packaged: 2019-02-26 07:39:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13231059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagnoliaMuse/pseuds/MagnoliaMuse
Summary: A warning to you all; do not go down to Talon Wood for a fairy court is there. And upon a throne of nettle thorns sits a queen with eyes one blue, one brown. She likes to collect pretty things and those who catch her eye are never seen again.So what chance does the Sultan from Oasis stand? And what has drawn her here. Where is her love, the Storyteller, the Sparrow, the Nomad? And why does she go down that path? That path leads to Talon Wood!A retelling of Tam LinDon't have to be firmiliar with the source material to enjoy but I recommend reading (or listening) to it. It is a short poem.I will say depending on the version there seems to be some dubious consent but based on the symbolism and the combined view of all the versions its considered (by academia) consentual.





	1. Chapter 1

A warning to you all; do not go down to Talon Wood for a fairy court is there. And upon a throne of nettle thorns sits a queen with eyes one blue, one brown. She likes to collect pretty things and those who catch her eye are never seen again.

 

So what chance does the Sultan from Oasis stand? And what has drawn her here. Where is her love, the Storyteller, the Sparrow, the Nomad? And why does she go down that path? That path leads to Talon Wood!

 

For over a month the Sultan Satya slept alone. While the Storyteller was away. He’d  traveled with a delegation to call on the Lord of Eichenwald.  

He went away, one morning before the sun had rose, she kissed him before he left then watched from a  high tower as the group departed.

 

From that night the Sultan waited for the Storyteller to return. Sometimes she dreamed of him but that only hurt her more. Then one night as she slept she had a horrible nightmare.

 

She watched as Genji rode while hunting. Then something struck him down.  Satya could not see what had made him fall.  And as he fell upon the ground no mortal hand reached for him. Instead twisting black smoke surrounded him, and carried him away.

 

The dream faded to all  black but she heard an unearthly voice ring “if you won’t give me your name I’ll call you Tam Lin”

The Sultan woke. The room was still dark. She raised a light and muttered, “No, you will not take him.”

 

She called the Shrike, the alchemist, who could see beyond what most mortals could.

“It appears,” she said,”what you have dreamed is true. He is alive, that I know, but he is hidden from my view.”

“Then I must go find him,” Satya decided and the Shrike did not try and convince her otherwise.

 

Instead she said “May I request, if you are going take my daughter with you.”

“She, like I, carries the mark of Horus and can see the truth, when no other can.”

“She is my light and in this endeavor her gifts will be a great help to you.”

So the Sultan called the Falcon and told her what she knew.

 

At dawn the Sultan and the Falcon left. The Shrike in the Sultan’s steed.

The Sultan left with her a treasure, in case it was ever needed. They left in quiet not wanting to alarm the people that the Storyteller had been lost, and the Sultan might be next.

 

The pair traveled to the coast, and then by ship across the sea. Satya wore the Nomad’s scarf around her head, the gold colored ornaments woven in.

They traveled by horse from the coast before they arrived in Eichenwald.

 

They were reunited with the remainder of the delegation whom they sent home ahead of them. They did not hide their purpose when they meet the Lord; The Shrike had said he was not a part of the Storyteller’s disappearance and the Falcon too said his honesty was genuine. So the Sultan told him what she knew.

The Lord was a cheerful man and had not hesitated to welcome them.

But as he heard her tale he fell silent.

 

“I apologize, Sultan.” He said “For what has befallen you.”

“For all my life I’ve  tried to deal with the court in Talon Wood. Many brave souls have gone to face the Queen who resides there, but all of them were lost, and I am afraid your Storyteller is too.”

 

“And though I can’t forbid you please heed my warning, Sultan, with that gold crown in your hair please, keep away from Talon Wood, for not only would you tempt the Queen but now the soul Tam Lin is there.”

 

The Lord, the Sultan, and the Falcon dinned but it was a somber meal.

After dinner they retired to their rooms. The Falcon joined the Sultan and they spoke about what they’d do.


	2. Chapter 2

The next day the Sultan walked down towards Talon Wood. Dressed in green with the Nomad’s scarf around her head.  She settled near a little stream. She left her fingers twine around a long grass at her feet and plucked it from its place.

“Why do you pluck that little grass, that does you no harm?” A familiar voice said

She turned to see a face, so knew so well but didn’t because it bore no scars and she spoke to him,

“This land is strange to me” She said, “Everything is so green,” She paused

“I come here looking a nomad, and you resemble him, tell me are you the one called Tam Lin.”

“I am that one,” He said “And your face seems familiar to me too. Have you been here before?

“No but I will come again.” the Sultan said. “ I wish to meet your queen tell her I will visit her tomorrow.”

She turned to leave but Tam Lin grabbed her wrist “I can not just let you go. What price would you pay for trespassing here.” He brushed an unscarred hand along her cheek.

“Everything,” she whispered then said, “but for now, would you like to hear a story be warned I am no storyteller?”

He raised an eyebrow at the question, “What story would you tell me?”

“What would you like to hear? Do you know the tale of Cupid and Psyche?”

He thought for a moment his brows knitted together. “No,” he said slowly.

“Well then; there was once a king with three daughters. The youngest was considered more beautiful than the others by far and the people began comparing her to the Goddess Aphrodite and then saying she was more beautiful than the Goddess. Aphrodite heard this and she became angry, that a mortal woman would compare herself to a Goddess.

So Aphrodite sent her son Cupid, the god responsible for making people fall in love by shooting them with his bow and arrow, to Psyche and told him to make her fall in love with a monstrous beast. He snuck into her room one night to do as his mother had instructed but he was so struck by her beauty he pricked himself with his arrow and fell irrevocably in love with her.

He fled her room afraid. Afraid for what his mother would do to Psyche. So he proposed a challenge to her, he would wed Psyche and if she could sleep by him for an entire year without seeing his face Aphrodite would not try and harm her. The Goddess agreed.

Word reached Psyche’s family  that their youngest daughter was to marry a beast. The were advised to abandon her and leave her at the top of a mountain. And so they did. She fell down and wept after they had left, afraid what her fate would be when the wind spoke and said he would carry her away.

So she jumped from the mountain and the wind carried her to a beautiful valley filled with flowers with a beautiful palace in the center. ‘This is all for you,’ the wind said. She spent the day wandering the beautiful valley and palace  finding everything she’d ever need. When it started to grow dark she fell asleep a large comfortable bed.

Right before she fell asleep she felt the bed move as another lay beside her. She froze in fear but the other never touched her. And when she woke he was gone. She asked the wind who it was and the told her ‘he is your husband, and he asks that you never look upon him’ but would say no more. For months this repeated, every night the stranger slept beside her. And although she wanted for nothing material in that valley she began to grow lonely.

She begged the wind to ask her husband to let her sister visit and he agreed. Her sister’s came and were so happy to see their youngest sister alive but they began to sow seeds of doubt in her mind, ‘What if your husband really is a monster,’

They came up with a plan. Psyche would sneak a candle into the room to look upon her husband. Her sister’s departed and wished her luck.

That night she waited and once she was sure her husband was asleep she lit the candle and saw the face of the man beside her. He was beautiful but as soon as she realized her mistake wax fell on him and he awoke with a cry and began sobbing.

‘If only you had waited to look upon me, I would have been yours forever but now I must go.’  White wings unfurled and he disappeared into the night.”

Satya watched the face of Tam Lin as something seemed to break within his eyes,

“Though I am no comparison, in this moment, to the God Cupid please honor my request and do not look upon me,” He mumbled quietly before his eyes widened as if seeing her for the first time.

He threw his arms around her shaking.

“What can I do to help you,” The Sultan asked

“Run and never come here again” He said, “ There is nothing you can do for me.”

“I must try,” She said. “ I will not leave you.” And even though her heart screamed at her not to she stepped away from the Nomad now called Tam Lin. He caught her wrist again.

“If I can not persuade you to leave then know you must be careful, the Queen will not give anything freely; do not accept anything from her before you know it’s price.  You can not lie before her and do not even tell her your name.”

“I will not forget, I’m sorry I have to leave you for now. But I will return.”

“Please, before you go will you finish the story.” So Satya continued the tale and told of how Psyche pursued Cupid and the three impossible tasks his mother set before her and how she overcame them all so she could be with Cupid again.

She did not finish the story though and stopped speaking as Psych reached the most difficult part of her third tasks.

“I must leave something to tell you later,” she said with a smile as she ran a hand through his hair before she stood.

And then they parted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't gotten the hang of notes yet, XD I started this story as a poem like the original then decided I couldn't keep it up but the first chapter still reads like a poem to me the rest though is more standard prose but I tried to keep the tone. Hopefully I did ok.


	3. Chapter 3

The next day the Sultan and the Falcon left for Talon Wood early in the morning before the sun was even peeking over the horizon.

 The Sultan was dressed in blue and white edged with gold. Her hair was braided down her back and she had flowers woven in along with a golden headband.  She wore a necklace too, a golden belt, earrings, and bracelets all decorated with rubies and pearls. Over this all she wore a warm cloak and again the ivory scarf was around her head.

The Falcon was dressed in elaborate blue and bronze colored armor gold beads in her hair. The mark of Horus drew the eye as well as any glittering necklace. In their time traveling they had become quite close and Satya was great full Fareeha was beside her.

They hoped to tempt the queen…

Neither carried any weapons, the Lord had said it was useless as they would be removed once they crossed into the wood and left at the border. The sun was breaking the horizon as Talon wood came into view. It was a pretty little spot in the early morning sun;  inviting and friendly.

A figure stood where the path entered to woods as she got closer the Sultan could see them more clearly, it was not the Nomad, it was a woman dressed in black and purple. Her sharp eyes scanned over the pair as and her mouth twitched then spread into a smile; it was not friendly.

“Good morning,” she said giving and exaggerated bow, “I have been sent to escort you. Call me Sombra.”

“I am the Sultan of the Oasis of Light, and this is my Falcon,” The Sultan replied.

Amusement sparkled in Sombra’s eyes as they played the game.

“Please, Sultan, this way.” She started into the forest. They walked until the trees gave way to a clearing still hidden mostly in shadows. In the center was a small shallow pool. That seemed more like it was left over from a rainstorm that an actual pound. Grass was visible just under its surface and mushrooms where scattered around it.

“After you” Sombra said gesturing to the pool. The Sultan raised an eyebrow. Sombra smirked again before turning and walking into the pool. Her feet did not break the water, though, as she walked across the surface and then she vanished.

The Sultan followed with the Falcon close behind. They reached where Sombra had vanished and they felt as if they were walking through curtains as the fabric gently fell away from their faces.

The space beyond the pound was much the same, cast in the shadow of the early morning sun except now the clearing wasn’t empty. The ruins of an old darkstoned church stood in front of them.

Vines twisted up sections of the walls that still stood. Creating pockets of dark shadows. All the natural sounds of the forest one would expect were gone but strange creaks cracked through the air occasional instead.

The walked down the naive.What was still remaining of the aisles were hidden by cloth and vines. Instead of a pulpit there was a throne covered in nettle weeds. It was empty. But a tall man with a red mask, who seemed to me made of crystal. stood behind it. Figures melted from the shadows of the aisles whispering between themselves.

The Sultan saw the Nomad in the right wing of the respite along with another figure who did not seem to fit in the atmosphere of the place. A woman with fair skin and yellow hair. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was set in a thin line.

“Well now,” a voice echoed through the space but it’s owner was not apparent. Black smoke twined behind the throne and the Fairy Queen was there. She stood beside her throne and was dressed all in black.

She was tall and thin. Despite herself the Sultan felt a twinge of fear. She could feel the queen’s power from where she stood. The Queen’s raised her hands in welcome. Her nails were long and one hand was purple and twisted. She took slow deliberate steps to stand in front of her throne.

“Welcome to my court,” She said with a sly smile her eyes, one blue, one brown, dragged across her guests twinkling with something the Sultan could not quite place. “Would you introduce yourselves and share your purpose here?”

“I am the Sultan of the Oasis of Light,” Satya said, “and this is my Falcon. We have traveled from our home seeking our lost councilmen, one, it seems, has been taken by your court. I have come to bring him home.”

“Ah do you mean my Tam Lin?” The Sultan realized what was in the Queen’s eyes; hunger. “He must be important to you for you to come aaaall this way.” A smile slipped across her face.

“I had business here, it was no inconvenience. And I had heard tales or your court and must admit I was intrigued.”

“Oh? What have you heard of my little court?” She said sounding amused.

“That you are a collector or rare and precious things.” The Sultan said looking around the room and the Queen’s collection. A tall figure wearing a bone white mask and a slender woman with blue tinged skin standing out among the shadows.

“And I have come to offer you a propositions.” The Sultan’s eyes flicked to the Nomad who had tensed and then back to the Queen who’s smile had grown.

“And what would you offer me,”

“I would like a chance to win my Storyteller back, you can name your rules, if I complete your task you release him to me. If not you can keep us both.”

The Queen looked over the Sultan considering the deal her head cocked to the side.

“What makes you think I’d be interested in you?”

The Sultan didn’t answer beyond raising an eyebrow and the corner of her mouth twitching into a small smile for a moment locking eyes with the Queen.

“Tonight is Halloween,” The Queen broke the stare. She turned and sat on her throne. “It is my tradition to hold a hunt as apart of our celebrations, if you can win Tam Lin, he will be yours.” The Sultan waited for her to give her any more information but she just turned and began speaking with the man behind her throne.

“Then if you will excuse us your highness we will take our leave, we do not want to intrude as you prepare for your celebrations.” The Sultan let her distance taint her reply and turned starting back the way they’d came. She and the Falcon crossed through the pond and left Talon wood. The sun had begun to fall already.

They crossed near the spot where the Sultan had seen Tam Lin the day before and again that figure stood by the stream.

“Sultan, you must be careful,” He said when they reached him, “ already the Queen has called away her most trusted to scheme. But I have heard in part, their plan for me.  I will ride the white horse across the valley by the wood . First will go the black horse, and then will go the brown, and after that the white. You must pull me from the horse. The Queen’s magic will change me three times, into what I do not know. But no matter what you hold me tight and do not fear me and I’ll return to you after the third.”

“Who was that other girl, you sat next to?”

“She will not give her name, but I call her Mercy, she was taken by the Queen too, neither she nor I have eaten anything in the Queen’s realm and so we have not fallen into shadows like the rest.”

“Thank you,”The Sultan said and then they parted.

“Wait till the hunt has started,” The Sultan said to the Falcon, “And then and get the other girl. I will not leave her here” The Falcon nodded and started back for Talon wood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You are sent before a Fairy Queen to win back your love one, do you attempt to trick the Queen by playing unassuming or do you go before her in your full strength to let her know you are a force to be reckoned with. 
> 
> One more chapter, will the Sultan be able to win back her Storyteller and complete the Queen's challenge? Or will she fail and fall to the Queen.
> 
> I started thinking about this before Moira was released originally it was gonna be Mercy XD because she's so often shipped with Genji and I thought it would be funny, and then they released Moira and it all fell into place.


	4. Chapter 4

The Sultan traveled down to the valley by the wood and waited. The daylight slowly faded and at the last ray of sun falling behind the horizon an unearthly shriek rose up over the wood.  As the moon broke through the clouds she hear the thunder of hooves across the valley a dark shape flew past her racing into the night, then a second . She stood and as the third approached she threw herself at the rider managing to grab him and pull him down.

They fell to the ground and she held him tight. He began to change in her arms. First, into a tiny sparrow. She held him a tightly praying she wouldn’t hurt him. But she would not risk losing the Nomad.

And then he changed again into a demon. Red horns rose from his forehead and tusks grew from his jaw. His body became covered in red shards and his face twisted. But she held him tightly. No matter what he was still her Storyteller.

Again he changed all in her arms into a great dragon; green and gold.  He bellowed and cried into the night air and her ears rang. But she held him tight as he twisted and his claws reached for her. She would not let Genji go.

That was the third change and the last bit of the Queen’s magic broke. The dragon fell away and Geji was left in her arm. Immediately beginning to shiver in the cool night air. She quickly undid her mantle and threw it over his shoulders. Pressing her forehead to his both of them breathing hard.

“Congratulations,” The Queens voice reached them. The Sultan stood quickly standing in front of Genji. But black smoke surrounded them. When it cleared they stood in the Queen’s court. She sat on her throne.

“We’ve completed your task release us,” Satya commanded.

The Queen huffed, “you cheated” she said with a wave of her hand the Falcon and the girl appeared behind her.

Satya did not speak, she couldn't lie in front of the Queen. “In trying to steal from me…” her eyes flicked to Genji, “ and it telling her of what was to come, you’ve forfeited. I am intrigued though,  that you broke my hold over him,”

“I did nothing but tell him a story, he broke your hold himself.”

“Interesting, although there is only so much I can do without your name.” The threat in her tone clear.

“You will tell me your names,” She said smiling. “Sultan if you please,”

Satya took a step forward, “I am sorry we tried to fool you your highness, accept that we lost and we concede. You ask for my name and I will oblige but I can not help but feel that you are not asking for what we are called but our names and that is not an easy answer for me but if you would humor me I will show you.”

“Go on,”

Satya smiled and gave a little bow, she walked to the edge of the naive she took off the scarf and slipped off her shoes revealing the red pattern temporarily dyed on them before crossing to stand in front of the queen. 

“My family is unique, we are dancers, and the first dance we learn is the most difficult, as it is who we are and it is unique to us, we consider it our name.

Satya began slowly making several small movements with her hands. Light began to fall from her fingers like sand and with the first wide sweep of her arm it was suspended in an arch her before falling like the trails of a firework. A whisper ran threw the court.

The Queen’s eyes sparkled and the dance continued. Every movement Satya made left light hanging delicately around her. When she turned light clung to at the edges of her skirt and hair and fingertips  and soon the air around her was shimmering with the dust.

Her hands twisted around each other manipulating the light. It played on the gold around her neck and face. And before long, the darkened room it looked like the night sky with the Sultan creating the Milky Way.

With one twist of her wrist the dust all rushed into her palm forming almost a star in her hand. She played with it. It danced around her, the slower particles creating a tail that simmered in a diamond ribbon.

She glanced at the Queen who was enthralled the light visible in her eyes.  Satya turned and looked at the Falcon behind her she gave a small nod before turning back around facing the Queen.

The light was at her chest now, at the same level as her heart  her hands twisted around each other ending with her wrists crossed her fingers splayed and her palms facing the Queen the light hovering in front of them focused into a pinprick. 

Her hands swept out and as they did the light exploded expanding  into a supernova burning away every shadow, driving away any darkness in the church, and breaking the Queen’s hold on the place. The shadow’s screamed and fled. And as light faded only the four of them stood in the old ruins. The sounds of the forest confirming their victory. But The Sultan could not help but feel the Queen lived, although she was banished from this place.

The traveled back to see the Lord. Who, after the recounted their story, bellowed and, breaking all decorum, drew the Sultan into a crushing hug. He called for a feast. He spoke with the Sultan saying that he could never repay her for her help but that she could count him as her ally.

The Falcon sat with the yellow haired woman who seemed to not quite believe what had happened. She found the Sultan, and asked if she could travel to Oasis with them. There was nothing for her here anymore. And the Sultan agreed. She thanked the Sultan with her name, Angela.

Eventually even the Lord tired and they all went to bed. The next day all four would return to the Sultanate.

“Will you finish the story now,” Genji asked as he and Satya lay in bed her back against his chest.

“Psyche, traveled down to the underworld and passed through all the barriers before her, I told you this before, she met the Queen Persephone and told her of her trial, Persephone agreed to help and gave her what Aphrodite asked for, a piece of Persephone’s beauty. And Psyche returned to the world above. But she was mortal and curiosity overwhelmed her. She opened the box that Persephone had given her, and inside was sleep, so complete she was all but dead.

Cupid flew to her, and demanded his mother forgive Psyche as she had already more than proven herself and so she did. Cupid gathered up his love in his arms and took her to the home of the Gods, he had her drink ambrosia and she awoke, now immortal.”

“Thank you,” Genji said. “Is it true what you told the Queen,” He asked suddenly

“What you told the queen about the dance?

“In a way. The dance is a story, it tells about how my family learned to use light and it is a wish my mother made for me before I was born, a prayer to the light to also bless me and protect me if needed. I will do the same thing when our child is born.”

She took his hand in hers and brought it to rest lightly on her center where she had begun to show.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed it! Tam Lin is a story I read at University as part of my British Literature Survey and I liked it a lot then. And then I forgot about it until I heard one of the song versions randomly. There was a lot more information I wanted to include but couldn't find a good place for it, I wanted Pharah to help with the final escape and I wanted to talk about why Angela was there. The first just didn't fit and the second could be another story in this series. I think though that this is the end of the Sultan's and the Storyteller's trials. They deserve a break. But you never know.
> 
> Also I probably mixed Greek and Roman names whoops.

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter is short the other's are longer.  
> So you know how movies sequel's are worse than their originals.... Proofread by only me. Please excuse any mistakes.


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